Machine for verifying and checking perforated records



July 14, 1953 D. R. PaA'rT Erm.

MACHINE FOR VERIFYING AND CHECKING PERORATED RECORDS 2 Sheets-Sheetl lFiled July 26, 1950 m 9 un M KUN ma w In n m n M m Dulux nu u 0l n. m KVuw m n n n .u um unnJ/. An. nl. 9

July 14A 1953 D. R. PIATT Erm.

MACHINE FOR VERIFYING AND CHECKING PERFORATED RECORDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed July 2.6, 195o Patented July 14, 1953 QUNITEUSTATES PATENTvorifice MACHINE FOR VERIFYING AND CHECK-ING PERFORATED RECORDS DonaldR; Piattand lFred B. Porterfeld, Endicott, and Carl D.-'Hicks, Vestal,N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation,

` New York, N. Y., a corporation ofvNew York Application July 26, 195o,seriai'No. 175,924

` 3 claims. (c1. 'z3-15e) This invention relates to card checkingmachines and especially to the type which are adapt-v Y 1-9 (thenumerical group) and one hole at the 0, X, R position (the zone group).According to the present invention any double punching or extraneouspunching in either the numerical or zone group would be detected whenthe present double punching-detecting means is conditioned to functionin this manner. It isdesirable at times to permit double hole punchingin one of the 'selected groups, and to enable the detection of any holewhich is extraneous to said double hole punching -another condition orarrangement of the detecting means may be provided which will approve ofthe presence Vof double hole punching in one column but will immediatelydetect and signal if any additional hole punching is present. Suchdouble hole punching may be either in the zone or numericalgroup, but ispreferably in the zone group and herein holes at both X and R. A holelin anyv other index point position in this column, such as l-9 and 0will be detected.

As one manner of illustrating the present invention the checkingarrangement vshown herein is employed to detect the correctness of acompletely punched card but if so desired it may be employedto'determine the correctness of card hole punching as the card ispunched, as for example, by the operation of keys.V This will preventimproper punching as, for example, punching two holes by an alphabet keywhen in this-particular column a single digit representing hole shouldhave been made.

It-is, therefore, the main object of the invention to provide a doublehole punching detecting means which will, in the event of numericalpunching, detect the presence of any extraneoushole; condition suchmeans so that it will approve of double y-hole punching in separate zoneand numerical groups when alphabetic code punching is to be effected butsignal the presence of any extraneous hole in either group, andfurther'condition such means so that it will approve of double holepunching in one of the groups but illustrative record sensing machineassociatedV signal the presence of an improper additional hole orpunching in the same or other group.

Other'objects of the invention will be pointed out inthe followingdescription and claims and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,which disclose, kby way of example, the principle of theinvention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.In the drawings: 7 f `Fig.=1`jis a longitudinal sectionalr view of thewith the presentinvention.

Fig.' 2 'is a viewin side elevation showing the`A magnetically operatedescapement mechanism for the card carriage,`

Fig.' 3 is a plan viewof the recordvsensing machine. d l

Fig;` 4 is a fragmentary portion of 'a' conventional. record cardshowing the codes of holes or perforations whichare used. to representthe' letters of the alphabet, the digits and for a special controlvindication by both .X and R for a last column to be punched (column 49ory 80,-

Control record The perforated record Which is adapted to be sensed inorder to have its perforations checkedto 'determine if the charactersthey are to repre` sent aremade according to'a code comprises, as fshown in Fig. A, a well known form of record card Cr adapted to controlelectrical accounting printing machines. Diierentially positionedcontrol designations, such as perforations 9, are used to represent thevarious alphabetical and nu merical characters representing the data tobe enteredin'and printedby. such electrical account-lA ing machines.

The .perforations are variously. positioned one or more columns of therecord card, the let' ters of the alphabet A-Z being designated by twoperforations, one perforation in either of the zone groups 0, X, R. andone perforation in the numerical group l-9. The letters of the rstgroup-A-I are designated by a; perforation which is always atthey R zoneindex point position in combination -With one perforation at the 1 9index point position. The letters of the secondgroup J-R are designatedby one perforation which is always at-the X zone index point position incombination with a perforation atthe l- 9 index point position.

a perforation in the 2-9 vindex point position.

The third group of the. letters SZ is represented by a hole at the 0.zone index point position in combination with Hence, in the abovedescribed system of combinan tional arrangement of perforations any ofthe letters of thea-lphabet A-Z can be designated. It is obvious thateach letter of the alphabet is represented by one hole in the zone groupand one hole in the numerical group and that the'.

occurrence of more than one hole in either group .would provide anextraneous lhole which would probably select an alphabet type in theaccounting machine which was notV intended.` By an arrangement to bepresently described it is possible to sense whenever more than one holeappears in either group and produce a vsignal when such has beendetected. More specifically, when the machine is conditioned forchecking perforations in columns representing alphabetic characters thepresent checking arrangement detects the presence of more than one holein the I dex point positions and X, R alone may also represent othernumerical values. When thepresent checking arrangement is conditionedfor determining whether numerical characters are properly representedthe presence of more than one hole in any of the index point positions Rthrough 9 will be indicatedas anincorrect punchmg. A

In some instances it is desirable to utilize a selected column forcontrol purposes. in the accounting machine by punching holes at twoindex point positions of one group, such, as the R Iand X index pointpositions as shown in column 80 of the card shown in Fig. 4.. Forchecking this column the checking arrangement is conditioned to approveof thepresence of both of such holes and to also detect the presence ofany other hole in the index point position l-9 and 0 and indicate sucherror.

Record sensing unit Referring to Fig. 3 the record cards C to be sensedor analyzed are placed in a magazine -designated I0, from which they areadvanced singly from the bottom of the magazine by means of a picker IItoward the left, to present the first column of the card to a cardsensing position `above the sensing brushes I2 (Fig. l). In thisposition the card carriage comprising a pusher I3 (Fig. l) and a forwardtransverse guide I4 engages the card and advances it, step by step,under control of the escapementmechanism to be described later. PusherI3 and transverse guide I4 are carried by an escapement rack I5 and thepicker knife II is carried by arack bar I6. Teeth on the underside ofrack I5 mesh with a gear I1 (see Fig. l) andrack teeth on bar I6 meshwith Va gear` I8, both gears being rigidly mounted on a cross shaft I9(Fig. 3). Due to this connection between the elements, the movement ofpicker IIA toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, is accompanied bymovement to the right of pusher I3 and forward guide I4. At thecommencement of operations the picker and pusher are in the positionshown in Fig. 3.

The rack I6 is' provided with a finger piece 20 at its right-handextremity by means of which the rack I5 and the picker II may be movedtoward the left to feed a card from the magazine I0. This movement isaccompanied by movement of the pusher I3 in the opposite direction, theparts being so proportioned that, when the card has been advanced topresent its first column to the sensing brushes I2, the pusher I3 willhave moved toward the. rightsufiicientlyto engage the right-hand, ortrailing edge of the card, and will now control the further advancementthereof in response to the operation of the escapement mechanism.

The operation of card feeding just outlined is fully explained in PatentNo. 1,772,186, granted to F. L. Lee et al. for -a duplicating cardpunching machine.'

The escapement mechanism referred to is of the same general nature asthat disclosed in the Schaaff patent, No. 1,426,223 and a briefdescriptionA thereof will now be given.

When the card is in position above the sensing brushes I2 (Fig.1),;-further advance is controlled by the escapement mechanism which, inturn, is responsive to the energization of escape magnet 40. Uponenergization of magnet 40 its armature 4I will be rocked about a pivotin a clockwise direction and through a screw 42 secured to an arm 43aprojecting from a rockably mounted rod 43, will rock therod 43counterclockwise against the tension of a spring 44. The rod 43 isrocked as an incident to each spacing operation and fhas secured to oneend thereof oppositely extending arms 45, 46. (see also Fig. 2). Arm 46is provided with a laterally extending pin 46a for engagement with anenlarged opening in` a stepping dog 41v which is loosely piv- K oted onrod 43. Opposite arm is provided with a vpin 45a extending into a slotformed in the locking dog 48. When rod 43 is rocked arm 46 will, throughits pin and slot connection with dog 41, lift the latter out of one ofthe notches of the rackv I5 and at the same time arm 45 will depresslocking dog 48 into a notch between the rack teeth. At this time aspring 49 advances the loosely pivoted dog 41 a short distance justsufficient to permit this dog to move above the top of the next tooth.When the locking dog is again raised, stepping dog 41, due to themovement of rack I5, will ride down along the next tooth until itstrikes the end thereof and the carriage is thereby arrested. The usualspring drum (not shown) is provided to bias the rack I5 toward theright, as viewed in Fig. 1. The detailed structure in this dog andescapement rack arrangement is well known and need not be furtherdescribed, and it is sufficient to note that for each energization ofthe escape magnet 40 the rack I5 is advanced one step or tooth, carryingwith it the pusher I3 and forward guide I4, so that the card is likewiseadvanced one step, each stepof advancement being coextensive with thespacing of the columns of the card.

Also in Fig. 2 are shown the well known floating cam contacts I49 andI5I, one blade of each of which is shifted by an arm I 50 which isloosely pivoted on the rod 43 and which has a lateral extension restingupon the upper edge of the stepping dog 41 so that during escapementfrom one column to another the incidenta1 raising of the stepping dog41, through arm |50, will open the contacts |49 and I5I duringthe periodthat the dog is raised. Contacts I5I are adjusted to close slightlyearlier than contacts |49 as the card carriage comes to rest at the nextcolumn position, for a purpose to be better understood later.

The card perforation sensing brushes I2 are shown in Fig.A l. Twelve ofthese brushes are provided and positioned side by side, there beingonefor each of the usual twelve rows of index point positions of thecard. The brushes 2 are mounted in a reciprocable insulating brushholder 90 so that `when elevated in a well known manner the brushes |2make contact withv the card and eiect electrical connections through theperforations therein with a common contact roller 9|.

The machine shown herein is also provided with the well known form ofcard column readout.v

The details of construction of such card column readout are not shown ordescribed herein and are shown only in the wiringdiagram of Fig. 5

and in adiagrammatic manner. As shown in thel Wiring diagram Theimprovement will be vbest understood `in connection with the wiringdiagram of Fig. 5 wherein the current supply is provided by the linesides 34, 35. The means for setting up an individual representation ofthe hole sensed or analyzed comprises a series of relays designated Re,Rs, Ri, Rt, R5, R4, R3, R2, Rl, Ro, RX, RR,

corresponding to the index point positions or holes which may he made ina column. These relays are selectively energized under `control of theassociated perforation or hole sensing means orbrushes l2, but if sodesired they may be punch.

magnets energized either under control of the sensing means to punchanother card, or keys which are operated to effect card hole punching.An illustrative energizing circuit for energizing relay R9 upon sensinga 9 hole is from line side 34, floating cam contacts |49, REZ relaycontacts now closed, a brush making continuous contact with contactroller 9|, the 9 brush I2, connecting wire to the R9 relay, escapementmagnet 40, to line side 35. Thus, if at the first column position a 9hole was sensed R9 relay and escapement magnet are energized, and as thecard escapes to column 2 floating cam contacts |49 open to deenergizethe R9 relay and escapement magnet 48. Of course, the readout brush 30moves Column by column for conditioning the machine for checking vholepunching according to the diierent codes. It will be assumed that thecard is punched in the iirst column, or it could be in any selectedcolumn, to represent numerical information, which of course Ameans thatfor the present numeric code only one relay RR-R9 should be energized.If more than one relay RR-RS is energized in the numeric single holecode then an error has been made in punching the column. In checkingpunching according to a numeric code both R38 and R99 relays aredeenergized, and their contacts RSS-I and RSS-I are in the positionshown in Fig. 5.

1. Checking punching according to numeric code Each of the relays R9R|,Ril, RX, is adapted to close its l contacts; each of which connectsthese contacts with the line side 34 through escapement contacts |49,RE2 relay contacts, contact roll 9|, sensing brush |2, the wire to theenergized relay, through its l contacts and then to a series circuit totest whether any other relay is concurrently energized. vThe R9|contacts, for

example, 'when closed due to thepresence of a"V 9 hole, continues acircuit by a wire 36 to thek R8-2 transfer contacts, and from thenormally closed contacts of R8-2 the circuit extends by a wire 3l to theRS-I contacts. `If there is a supplemental or extra hole in the -8 indexpoint the R8 relayis energized to transfer the R8-'| con tacts and theR8-2 contacts', and the circuit from contacts and wire 36 is nowextended through the R8-2 .contacts now transferred, to the error line38. This series circuit extends seri-1 ally further than the R8|contacts, or any other. l contacts, land serially through the remainingrelay contacts in the same manner and ultimatelyl Since, as described,R98| contacts are closed for numeric code checking. R|| contacts and R02contacts are connected through RSS-l, thus the error detecting circuitfor numeric code is `also controlled by the Rl)l to the RR2 contacts.

relay. Further, the circuit from R02 and R0|` extendsl through RXZ relaycontacts, the RXI contacts', R99| contacts now normal, to RRZrelay-contacts, thus 'also including the RX and RR relays and sensing ofX and R holes for determination of extraneous hole punching forcheckingthe numeric code. It is obvious that when anyv two or morerelays R9-RI, R0, RX, RR are concurrently energized the 2 contacts ofone relay in conjunction with the 1 contacts of vany other relaycompletes the error circuit wire same time a signal light S which isshunted across the H-coil is lighted and remains lighted until the key Kis depressed.

The REZ contactsopen and thus even if the' "carriage escapes to the nextcolumn the energizing circuit for any of the R9-R|, R0, RX, RR relaysand the escapement magnet 40 cannot be completed, and the sensingoperation terminates.

summarizing, one condition of the checking larrangement enables thechecking of numeric representing holes to determine whether more thanone hole has been made in each column. The energization of `any two ormore relays when two or more holes are present completes theIerrorecircuit and accordingly a signal is given to indicate the error.

2. Checking holes punched according to k alphabetic code ftionedhereinafter) beforeany of the R|-R9,l

R9, RX. RR. relays. The multiple plug-connections 5| re-energize R98relay for each subsequent column of a field to be checked. Energizationof R98 relay opens contacts RSS-l, thus splitting ithe relays into twogroups, one the numeric group f RS-RI, and one the zone group R9, RX andRR. Anlenergization'rof one relay R9-Rl in the numerio group and onerelay R0, RX and RR in the zone group will be accepted as correct sincethe subdivision of the circuit and relays requires'the 7. energizationof two relays in either 'of the two groups to complete the errorcircuit. If the RI relay should be the second relay energized in thenumeric group its Rl-2 contacts complete the error circuit. Thesubdivision of the relays to a group of R0, RX, RR relays enables thecircuit to approve of the energization of a single relay but if two ofthe relays RD, RX, RR are energized the error circuit is completed. Theseries error circuit for the zone group is open if R is energized aloneand is through the transferred R0! contacts (if R0 is energized),through the RX2V contacts now normal, RXI contacts now normal, RSS-Icontacts now normal, wire 52, RRZ contacts now open. Obviously, ifeither RX2 or RRZ contacts are transferred when. RR or RX are energizedas a result of an extra hole at R or X, the error circuit willv becompleted through either of these contacts RX2 or RRZ. Also RXI and RR2contacts in combination complete the error circuit through RSS-lcontacts if both X and R holes are sensed and both RX and RR relays areenergized. However, as analphabetical eld is being dealt with, a singlehole of the zone group or a single hole of the numeric group will beapproved as correct in that obviously only one relay will be energized.Thus, numerical (single hole) punching can be intermixed with alphabeticcode punching.

Summarizing, when the circuit is conditioned in this manner one or morecolumns can be checked for determination of correct alphabetic codevpunching, and double holes in either the numeric or group zone will bedetected and signalled. By provision of a plurality of sockets 50, R98relay can be picked up at various columns and one or more fields ofalphabetic punching can be veried as the carriage moves step by step,and the circuit is accordingly conditioned for this code checking.

3. Checking X, R, joint control indications As premised hereinbefore, aspecial column, the last column to be dealt with which may or may not becolumn 80, is perforated at both X and R and the machine is. conditionedfor this checking by picking up R99 relay by the plug connection 53. TheRSS-I contacts are now opened. If R0 relay is picked up, and in fact anyrelay of the numerical group RB-Rl, then the series circuit from lineside 34 will be extended through, as explained before, to wire 60 andsince RX relay is now energized the RX2 contacts complete the errorcircuit. It is unnecessary to have the circuit go beyond RX2 contacts todetect the extraneous hole because R, X holes always appear together,and checking the superfluous or extra hole against the X hole willsuffice. In this instance R and X are energized and bothtransfer their 2contacts to connect to the error wire 38 but the opened RSS-I contactsprevent completion of the error circuit, and hence a concurrentenergization of R and X relays in thiscode checking is approved andaccepted.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention, it will be understood thatvariout omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and detailsof the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by thescope of the following claims.

8 `=2What is: claimed is:

Y1. In a. machine for determining whether punched holes or the like havebeen improperly made at indexA pointlpositions according to twodifferent codes, the combination of means for sensing said card holes, aplurality of relays, one for each index point position, means forenergizing said relays according to the sensed holes, an errorindicating circuit, contacts operated by each of said relays, means forinterconnecting said contacts in such manner that contacts operated by apair of relays which are energized when two holes are sensed in a columnare jointly effective to complete said error indicating circuit toindicate a non-conformity to one code, and means for dividing saidrelays and associated contacts into two independently functioning groupsfor preventing the contacts operated by the energization of one relay inone group and one relay in the other group from being effective tocomplete said error indicating circuit, and for causing the contactsoperated by two relays in either of said groups to be jointly effectiveto complete said error detecting circuit to indicate a nonconformitywith another code.

2.. An electrical circuit arrangement devised for the purpose ofdetecting the improper presence of more than one hole in a card columncomprising means for simultaneously sensing the card 4column fordetermination of the presence of a hole or holes, a plurality of relays,one for each possible hole in a column, means under control of thesensing means for energizing the relays according to hole or holes inthe card column, an error indicating circuit, contacts operated by eachassociated relay, and a circuit network connecting said contacts anderror indicating circuit in such manner that upon the energization ofone relay and operation of its contacts said contacts are ineffective tocomplete said error indicating circuit, and that upon the energizationof two relays and operation of their contacts said latter contacts arejointly effective to complete said error indicating circuit.

3. In a machine for determining whether holes are properly or improperlypunched at index point positions in a card column, the combination of aplurality of relays, one relay for each index point position, means forsensing said holes, means under control of said sensing means forenergizing said plurality of relays selectively, according to the holeor holes sensed, an error indicating circuit, contacts operated by eachof said relays, and means for dividing said relays and associatedcontacts into two independently functioning groups and forinterconnecting said contacts and said error indicating circuit in suchmanner that contacts operated by one relay in one group and contactsoperated by one relay in the other group are ineffective to completesaid` error indicating circuit, but a plurality of contacts in eithergroup operated by the energization of more than one relay in eithergroup are effective to complete said error indicating circuit.

DONALD R. PIAT'I. FRED B. PORTERFIELD. CARL D. HICKS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,031,569 Maul Feb. 18, 1936 2,475,315 Doty July 5, 1949

